We've had snow here this morning but it hasn't stopped us opening at work (we have one customer in so far) and we put down a lot of salt by the entrance to stop people falling over.
The phone line at home is down so I'm writing this today as I doubt I'll be able to write anything tonight.
Have fun in the snow!
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Monday 29 November 2010
Monday madness...
I think it's started already, the Christmas frenzy. Mum and I made our daily trip to the shopping centre to go to the bank and the queues to park were horrendous. It may have had something to do with the snow forecast for tomorrow, but the place was a complete madhouse! Arrrggghhh! It was certainly "dog eat dog" with no thought for the goodwill of others at all!
Back at work we got out all the Christmas decorations but it was too late to finish it all so we'll leave it for the rest of the week. The way I see it is that it's not December yet!
My car is currently languishing at the garage awaiting repair. Keith popped into work mid-morning with Mikey's main Christmas present and we went home together to drop the car off. It was fearsomely cold. I put my winter coat over the top of my work fleece to just get a bit warmer.
I forgot to say the other day that the camera I ordered for Sophie arrived in damaged packaging so it was swiftly sent back. Curry's called today to say they had received it and to arrange a replacement. However, while I was off battling the crowds at the bank they rang again to say it was out of stock and couldn't guarantee delivery for Christmas...Agggh! Luckily Tesco also had it so I've arranged to pick it up from the local store. I don't trust delivery drivers any more!
In the evening as the biting winds intensified, we moved the dining table back into the dining room proper. The conservatory is just too cold to use at the moment and it was very cosy when Sue came around for a drink and a chat. Will it snow properly tomorrow? We'll just have to wait and see!
Back at work we got out all the Christmas decorations but it was too late to finish it all so we'll leave it for the rest of the week. The way I see it is that it's not December yet!
My car is currently languishing at the garage awaiting repair. Keith popped into work mid-morning with Mikey's main Christmas present and we went home together to drop the car off. It was fearsomely cold. I put my winter coat over the top of my work fleece to just get a bit warmer.
I forgot to say the other day that the camera I ordered for Sophie arrived in damaged packaging so it was swiftly sent back. Curry's called today to say they had received it and to arrange a replacement. However, while I was off battling the crowds at the bank they rang again to say it was out of stock and couldn't guarantee delivery for Christmas...Agggh! Luckily Tesco also had it so I've arranged to pick it up from the local store. I don't trust delivery drivers any more!
In the evening as the biting winds intensified, we moved the dining table back into the dining room proper. The conservatory is just too cold to use at the moment and it was very cosy when Sue came around for a drink and a chat. Will it snow properly tomorrow? We'll just have to wait and see!
Sunday 28 November 2010
The best laid plans...
Today has been a disaster. Someone who shall remain nameless (but is female and a stroppy teenager) suggested a day in London today and I thought it was a great idea to see the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park as there was talk of mulled wine and German Bratwurst! Yum! It would mean fresh air and exercise and promised to be a great day.
We set off in the freezing cold and treated the wee ones to a MacDonald's breakfast and then made another stop to buy some screenwash as mine was frozen solid. For a change we decided to go down the M40 and into London that way, thus avoiding the roadworks on the M1. Half way along the M40, the heating packed up. This was a bit worrying and came hot on the heels of a strange noise coming from the front vents on the dashboard. We pushed on and Keith told me to keep an eye on the temperature, which I did.
However, on the A40 (we went wrong somehow as the last time we came this way home, I'm sure we went on the M4 and the M25) the temperature gauge suddenly shot up and my coolant warning light came on. Luckily we were right next to a bus stop, so I pulled in just as a load of steam erupted from the bonnet...
Keith went to investigate and shot me a look of absolute despair. It was clear we were going nowhere fast. We topped up the radiator with water but when we switched the engine back on, the warning light flashed up again. I thanked my lucky stars for my AA breakdown cover but getting through to them proved a wee bit difficult. Every time I called them the number was engaged. Keith and Mikey went off in search of more water but came back empty handed while I tried again and again to get through to the AA. I later found out that on an average Sunday they get 300-400 calls, while today they had over 4,500 due to the weather!
On my fifth attempt I managed to get through and was told a mechanic would be out within two hours. Amazingly, within ten minutes he arrived but it was clear that our fault was not repairable (a split water hose) and we would have to be taken home. The most annoying thing is that in September the AA wrote to me offering an upgrade to Relay for just £10 and I forgot to do it, but when I upgraded at the roadside it cost me £114! Ho hum!! A lesson learnt there, I think!
I have to say our mechanic was brilliant. As we were by the side of a very busy road he suggested we follow him around the corner to a MacDonalds where we could get a cup of tea and wait in the warm for the recovery van. He filled the radiator with water and Keith followed him the short distance to the restaurant.
Within the hour, I had a text saying the recovery driver was waiting outside for us so we hastily gathered up our things and went outside to meet him...only he wasn't there. He was at a Macdonalds four miles away! Now four miles in London is a long way, especially on a busy Sunday afternoon. I gave him details of where we were as the office had given him the wrong address and by the time he reached us he told us he was almost out of driving time. We managed to get to the London Gateway Services where he had no choice but to stop for 45 minutes to take a break. He then took us onto Toddington Services where we waited three hours for our next recovery man.
Motorway service stations are depressing places at the best of times, but when you have no choice but to wander around they are even worse! We had a hot drink, used the facilities and then went back to the car, only to be told the driver had been delayed by the traffic. We had a walk over to the southbound services, had a snack and then wandered back to sit in the freezing cold car and await our saviour. By 8pm we were on our way home, but another two stranded drivers were also wondering where their vans were and I think we were very lucky to have had to wait just the three hours.
We were home at 9pm and never has a whisky Mac tasted so good!
We set off in the freezing cold and treated the wee ones to a MacDonald's breakfast and then made another stop to buy some screenwash as mine was frozen solid. For a change we decided to go down the M40 and into London that way, thus avoiding the roadworks on the M1. Half way along the M40, the heating packed up. This was a bit worrying and came hot on the heels of a strange noise coming from the front vents on the dashboard. We pushed on and Keith told me to keep an eye on the temperature, which I did.
However, on the A40 (we went wrong somehow as the last time we came this way home, I'm sure we went on the M4 and the M25) the temperature gauge suddenly shot up and my coolant warning light came on. Luckily we were right next to a bus stop, so I pulled in just as a load of steam erupted from the bonnet...
Keith went to investigate and shot me a look of absolute despair. It was clear we were going nowhere fast. We topped up the radiator with water but when we switched the engine back on, the warning light flashed up again. I thanked my lucky stars for my AA breakdown cover but getting through to them proved a wee bit difficult. Every time I called them the number was engaged. Keith and Mikey went off in search of more water but came back empty handed while I tried again and again to get through to the AA. I later found out that on an average Sunday they get 300-400 calls, while today they had over 4,500 due to the weather!
On my fifth attempt I managed to get through and was told a mechanic would be out within two hours. Amazingly, within ten minutes he arrived but it was clear that our fault was not repairable (a split water hose) and we would have to be taken home. The most annoying thing is that in September the AA wrote to me offering an upgrade to Relay for just £10 and I forgot to do it, but when I upgraded at the roadside it cost me £114! Ho hum!! A lesson learnt there, I think!
I have to say our mechanic was brilliant. As we were by the side of a very busy road he suggested we follow him around the corner to a MacDonalds where we could get a cup of tea and wait in the warm for the recovery van. He filled the radiator with water and Keith followed him the short distance to the restaurant.
Within the hour, I had a text saying the recovery driver was waiting outside for us so we hastily gathered up our things and went outside to meet him...only he wasn't there. He was at a Macdonalds four miles away! Now four miles in London is a long way, especially on a busy Sunday afternoon. I gave him details of where we were as the office had given him the wrong address and by the time he reached us he told us he was almost out of driving time. We managed to get to the London Gateway Services where he had no choice but to stop for 45 minutes to take a break. He then took us onto Toddington Services where we waited three hours for our next recovery man.
Motorway service stations are depressing places at the best of times, but when you have no choice but to wander around they are even worse! We had a hot drink, used the facilities and then went back to the car, only to be told the driver had been delayed by the traffic. We had a walk over to the southbound services, had a snack and then wandered back to sit in the freezing cold car and await our saviour. By 8pm we were on our way home, but another two stranded drivers were also wondering where their vans were and I think we were very lucky to have had to wait just the three hours.
We were home at 9pm and never has a whisky Mac tasted so good!
Saturday 27 November 2010
Christmas shopping
Well, I suppose I had to mention it sooner or later, didn't I? It's been very Christmassy here today with a fall of snow this morning and a plan to go to the village Christmas Bazaar in the afternoon. However, when Keith and I popped out this morning to get the newspapers, we noticed the bazaar was on from 10.30am-1.30pm... As it was 11am and we hadn't even had breakfast I gave up on the idea of going so late in the day (all the homemade cakes would have long gone) so I suggested a trip to Market Harborough instead with mum and Sophie.
Market Harborough is one of the rare towns that actually has individual little shops alongside some of the more well-known faces in the High Street. We spent a good while in New Look while Sophie tried on some tops and we persuaded her to buy a fur coat and a wonderful hat that she looked ravishing in. But she was having none of it and knew exactly what she did and didn't want!
She then dragged us into Monsoon and spent some of her Nan's money on jewellery. I gazed at the gorgeous children's clothes in there and thought back to when she was a baby and would wear anything I put her in with a huge toothy grin. Alas, no more!
I made an early start and bought my Christmas cards - this year I've cut right back on cards to send, preferring instead to send e-cards from Jacqui Lawson's wonderful site, but I do send cards to family members scattered around the country that we don't see very often. I was astonished to see Christmas cards to family pets - "To the family cats...we hope you have a purrrfect Christmas" - I mean...really! Who buys these things?? There were also cards to the Childminder and the Classroom Assistant! Is it really necessary?!!
By now we were a bit cold and hungry so we had coffee and cakes in Emerson's, a lovely old-fashioned tearoom above their delicatessen which was stuffed full of lovely things to eat. We resisted temptation and explored the tiny side streets full of individual clothes shops, cookshops and a great little garden shop where I bought some decorations for the tree, a seed hanging treat for our wild birds and a smelly candle.
Our last shop was my favourite...Duncan's fab wine shop where I used to work. It was very busy as he had the last tasting of the year going on, a selection of Madeira wine that were going down very well with the customers! I bought a couple of bottles of beer for Keith - Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale - and was then expertly sold a very special bottle of 10 year old Vouvray from the Loire Valley in France and a South African Chenin Blanc by Nick. Our next wine evening at the end of January will feature this white grape and it will be interesting to compare how it tastes from such different regions. However, the Vouvray is mine...all mine!!!
We staggered back to the car with all our purchases and drove home in the growing dusk, the fields and woods looking beautiful with their light dusting of snow!
Market Harborough is one of the rare towns that actually has individual little shops alongside some of the more well-known faces in the High Street. We spent a good while in New Look while Sophie tried on some tops and we persuaded her to buy a fur coat and a wonderful hat that she looked ravishing in. But she was having none of it and knew exactly what she did and didn't want!
She then dragged us into Monsoon and spent some of her Nan's money on jewellery. I gazed at the gorgeous children's clothes in there and thought back to when she was a baby and would wear anything I put her in with a huge toothy grin. Alas, no more!
I made an early start and bought my Christmas cards - this year I've cut right back on cards to send, preferring instead to send e-cards from Jacqui Lawson's wonderful site, but I do send cards to family members scattered around the country that we don't see very often. I was astonished to see Christmas cards to family pets - "To the family cats...we hope you have a purrrfect Christmas" - I mean...really! Who buys these things?? There were also cards to the Childminder and the Classroom Assistant! Is it really necessary?!!
By now we were a bit cold and hungry so we had coffee and cakes in Emerson's, a lovely old-fashioned tearoom above their delicatessen which was stuffed full of lovely things to eat. We resisted temptation and explored the tiny side streets full of individual clothes shops, cookshops and a great little garden shop where I bought some decorations for the tree, a seed hanging treat for our wild birds and a smelly candle.
Our last shop was my favourite...Duncan's fab wine shop where I used to work. It was very busy as he had the last tasting of the year going on, a selection of Madeira wine that were going down very well with the customers! I bought a couple of bottles of beer for Keith - Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale - and was then expertly sold a very special bottle of 10 year old Vouvray from the Loire Valley in France and a South African Chenin Blanc by Nick. Our next wine evening at the end of January will feature this white grape and it will be interesting to compare how it tastes from such different regions. However, the Vouvray is mine...all mine!!!
We staggered back to the car with all our purchases and drove home in the growing dusk, the fields and woods looking beautiful with their light dusting of snow!
Friday 26 November
A cold, sunny day dawned and mum and I spent our first few minutes at work transporting heavy, freezing cold bags of salt over to one of our storage units. Baca had delivered 15 bags instead of 5 and already our resident crows had been pecking at them, which must have been a salty shock on their beaks!
Although it stayed very cold, around -1 degrees, we didn't get any snow and it was a relief to get home in the evening and get warm. Keith had very kindly bought me a bottle of whisky and a bottle of Stones Ginger Wine as he knows I love a whisky mac or two when the weather is freezing! That should keep me warm over the next few days!
Although it stayed very cold, around -1 degrees, we didn't get any snow and it was a relief to get home in the evening and get warm. Keith had very kindly bought me a bottle of whisky and a bottle of Stones Ginger Wine as he knows I love a whisky mac or two when the weather is freezing! That should keep me warm over the next few days!
Thursday 25 November 2010
First snow!
Not a huge amount, but a very light dusting which made everything look pretty! The news is full of the "big freeze" so it's bound to be an anti-climax. In the afternoon, mum and I popped around to BACA for some salt to sprinkle on the car park should we have a white-out. They still have loads left after all the stocks they had delivered earlier in the year - remember all the lorries lined up in our car park?!! They were good enough to deliver five bags so at least we didn't have to stagger to the car with them!
Work has been a bit stressful today - would you belive our lease still hasn't been signed and mum and I had to restrain Dad from saying something he would later regret to the Landlord's agent today. There are times when we'd love to just walk away from the building and find somewhere new but it's almost impossible so we have to soldier on and hope that things will get sorted soon.
On a lighter note, it's Friday tomorrow!!
Work has been a bit stressful today - would you belive our lease still hasn't been signed and mum and I had to restrain Dad from saying something he would later regret to the Landlord's agent today. There are times when we'd love to just walk away from the building and find somewhere new but it's almost impossible so we have to soldier on and hope that things will get sorted soon.
On a lighter note, it's Friday tomorrow!!
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Snow is forecast...
The country is bracing itself for a cold snap and as I write I'm sure it's snowing somewhere in the country, most probably the north and Scotland! I'm torn in two over the prospect of snow. One half of me would love to see a covering of the white stuff, the other half is apprehensive about what it does to the business and last winter's freeze is still fresh in my memory along with the disruption it caused. I really don't want to be shovelling snow in our car park on Saturday morning!
It has been a beautiful day though - what I call a "grey and blue day" - the clouds heavy and ominous and an orange tint on the horizon as early at 3pm this afternoon. The temperature dropped as I took Keith home from work and the children are excited about the forecast. We'll see what happens...this part of the country normally escapes the worst of the weather so I'm not getting worked up, either way!
It has been a beautiful day though - what I call a "grey and blue day" - the clouds heavy and ominous and an orange tint on the horizon as early at 3pm this afternoon. The temperature dropped as I took Keith home from work and the children are excited about the forecast. We'll see what happens...this part of the country normally escapes the worst of the weather so I'm not getting worked up, either way!
Tuesday 23 November 2010
Mrs Angry
I went back to work today feeling much better after a good night's sleep. I was in a great mood until I walked into the office and found that my darling mum had cleaned up my desk...She'd also stuck a big box behind my chair (why?) and had thrown out something important...
When I went down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, they'd switched the coffee machine off so I had to wait until it warmed itself up. All very minor things in hindsight but enough to get me doing a very good impression of Victor Meldrew on speed. Of course, when they innocently walked into work half an hour later I gave them the big guns so the day didn't really get off to a good start. Then I found out that the beautiful Jacqui Lawson advent calendar I'd sent to them on Friday had been - "no idea how, it wasn't me!" - deleted and was missing from the deleted email folder. Cue more shouting and storming around the office!
Sometimes my parents have to put up with a lot from me as I can be very impatient and intolerant at times and today wasn't one of my best...I did try to make it up to mum by asking if she wanted a mince pie but she turned me down. Ho hum!
Sophie has been off from school today and is currently mooning about the house with a nose the colour of Rudolph (she's reading this) but tomorrow I think she can definitely go back to school, red nose or not!
When I went down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, they'd switched the coffee machine off so I had to wait until it warmed itself up. All very minor things in hindsight but enough to get me doing a very good impression of Victor Meldrew on speed. Of course, when they innocently walked into work half an hour later I gave them the big guns so the day didn't really get off to a good start. Then I found out that the beautiful Jacqui Lawson advent calendar I'd sent to them on Friday had been - "no idea how, it wasn't me!" - deleted and was missing from the deleted email folder. Cue more shouting and storming around the office!
Sometimes my parents have to put up with a lot from me as I can be very impatient and intolerant at times and today wasn't one of my best...I did try to make it up to mum by asking if she wanted a mince pie but she turned me down. Ho hum!
Sophie has been off from school today and is currently mooning about the house with a nose the colour of Rudolph (she's reading this) but tomorrow I think she can definitely go back to school, red nose or not!
Monday 22 November
When I woke up this morning I felt tired and horrible so I took the day off, although I felt very guilty about it! It's been ages since I've had time off sick, though, and the time spent lolling about was very beneficial. I think every now and again it doesn't hurt to take time out.
The day was obviously spent quietly and I'm not sure I'd want to be at home every day! In the evening, Sue came around for a glass of wine and we had a good chat over a bottle of Chenin Blanc and some popcorn. Time spent having a good chinwag is also very beneficial!
The day was obviously spent quietly and I'm not sure I'd want to be at home every day! In the evening, Sue came around for a glass of wine and we had a good chat over a bottle of Chenin Blanc and some popcorn. Time spent having a good chinwag is also very beneficial!
Monday 22 November 2010
Lazy Sunday
Sunday was a very lazy day but I was determined not to feel guilty about being such a sloth! I thought it would be good to try and shake off this wretched cold that Mikey has given us and I do hope this isn't going to be the pattern for the winter as normally I don't catch colds!
The weather was slightly better than Saturday and it did brighten up briefly. I planned on going for a walk but by 3pm it was dark and gloomy again so I put it off and just sank deeper into the sofa with my tissues! I did a far amount of research on my family tree which is proving to be completely engrossing!
The weather was slightly better than Saturday and it did brighten up briefly. I planned on going for a walk but by 3pm it was dark and gloomy again so I put it off and just sank deeper into the sofa with my tissues! I did a far amount of research on my family tree which is proving to be completely engrossing!
Sunday 21 November 2010
Writer's Block!
Last night I sat down to write this and just couldn't come up with anything to write, even though I had lots to say! It was a bit ironic seeing as I'd just completed a course on writing! After three attempts to write something interesting about Friday, I gave up and went and watched Twin Peaks instead which is being repeated on one of the Sky Horror channels. I was a big fan of the cult series the first time around and it's still just as good and weird as it was in the late 80s.
Yesterday evening was the perfect time to watch something like Twin Peaks. We had fog all day - a real misty, damp and grey November day that was a hangover from the weather the previous day, although we did have a glimpse of sun on Friday afternoon.
I had booked to go on a course yesterday at a school in Kettering and if I'm honest, really didn't want to go. Both Keith and I have colds again (although his is far worse than mine, he's definitely got man-flu) and all I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa and do very little. But I forced myself to go and I was very glad I did as the course was extremely helpful and the little group of us got on really well.
First of all, though, I thought it had been cancelled as when Keith dropped me off at Reception the doors were locked. A little man appeared and told me that the course was in a different building and showed me the way. I was a little alarmed as I followed him off up the road, but Keith drove along behind me and all was well when I found our alloted classroom for the day. The course was led by a lovely woman called Jane Hill who has had three novels published. There was only one other lady in the classroom but slowly another four people managed to find us even though there should have been twelve of us in total.
It was great to have a few hours to concentrate on something other than work or family and I learned a lot about the structure of a novel, plot points, planning and then the difficult business of getting the thing published. I plan to re-write the novel I've already written called Staring at the Sun and at the end of the day I could see how to streamline it and take some of the silly plots out that are in the original story.
We had a very relaxing evening, a delicious beef casserole for dinner and the last episode of the drama, The Pillars of the Earth which finally came to its dramatic conclusion!
Yesterday evening was the perfect time to watch something like Twin Peaks. We had fog all day - a real misty, damp and grey November day that was a hangover from the weather the previous day, although we did have a glimpse of sun on Friday afternoon.
I had booked to go on a course yesterday at a school in Kettering and if I'm honest, really didn't want to go. Both Keith and I have colds again (although his is far worse than mine, he's definitely got man-flu) and all I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa and do very little. But I forced myself to go and I was very glad I did as the course was extremely helpful and the little group of us got on really well.
First of all, though, I thought it had been cancelled as when Keith dropped me off at Reception the doors were locked. A little man appeared and told me that the course was in a different building and showed me the way. I was a little alarmed as I followed him off up the road, but Keith drove along behind me and all was well when I found our alloted classroom for the day. The course was led by a lovely woman called Jane Hill who has had three novels published. There was only one other lady in the classroom but slowly another four people managed to find us even though there should have been twelve of us in total.
It was great to have a few hours to concentrate on something other than work or family and I learned a lot about the structure of a novel, plot points, planning and then the difficult business of getting the thing published. I plan to re-write the novel I've already written called Staring at the Sun and at the end of the day I could see how to streamline it and take some of the silly plots out that are in the original story.
We had a very relaxing evening, a delicious beef casserole for dinner and the last episode of the drama, The Pillars of the Earth which finally came to its dramatic conclusion!
Thursday 18 November 2010
In search of the perfect pub
Today has been a bit stressy at work so when I got home I suggested to Keith that we slip out for a drink for an hour. The other week I was talking about finding my perfect pub so I thought tonight we could make a start. But what makes my perfect pub?
I've been to two pubs in the past which have come very close - a very old inn just off the M20 in Kent and not far from Maidstone. We called in once on the way back from a day trip to France and I remember stone-flagged floors, low beams and log fires. The other is the The Falkland Arms at Great Tew where we went with friends a few years back. Both pubs served real ales and were friendly and welcoming.
It's a hard job, but somebody has to do it so we set off into the dark and misty night to The Tollemache Arms at Harrington. My perfect pub has to have:
Age - at least 16th or 17h century with a thatch if possible - the older the better
A real log or coal fire(s) - the more the merrier
Low wooden beams
Stone-flagged floors
A complete absence of piped or loud music
Real ales and a good choice of wine
Friendly welcoming staff
Friendly customers - not pompous prats
A dog lolling by the fire would be ideal, if not I'll accept a cat
Candlelit tables
Comfortable chairs - squashy sofas would be ideal and if they're mismatched so much the better
Good food at reasonable prices, ideally without things on a bed of pureed mash and accompanied by a jus
Cosy - not too smart or posh
No fruit machines or loud games with flashing lights
The Tollemache Arms did reasonably well. I ticked off a thatched roof, log fires, low beams, and the stone-flagged floors. Also present was the friendly Landlord, real ale (even if Keith isn't keen on Charles Wells Bombardier). It was cosy and welcoming and even though we didn't eat there, we saw it was a runner up for some Good Food award, so that looked promising. Harrington is a fairly remote village of thatched houses and is far enough away from main roads to make it nice and quiet. There were no fruit machines, only a skittles tables in the main entrance so that was fine.
There was however music playing, although not obtrusively, and two pompous prats having a conversation about the price of Ferrari tyres which spoiled things a bit so I'll deduct a few points for that. And there was no animal at all, so that's another point off. Overall I gave the pub 6/10 so not bad for a start!
On the way home we became completely lost, which was hilarious seeing as we were about 5 miles from home. I went a different way to the outward journey and we ended up on the narrowest single track road with no road signs at all and utter darkness. It could only happen to us!
I've been to two pubs in the past which have come very close - a very old inn just off the M20 in Kent and not far from Maidstone. We called in once on the way back from a day trip to France and I remember stone-flagged floors, low beams and log fires. The other is the The Falkland Arms at Great Tew where we went with friends a few years back. Both pubs served real ales and were friendly and welcoming.
It's a hard job, but somebody has to do it so we set off into the dark and misty night to The Tollemache Arms at Harrington. My perfect pub has to have:
Age - at least 16th or 17h century with a thatch if possible - the older the better
A real log or coal fire(s) - the more the merrier
Low wooden beams
Stone-flagged floors
A complete absence of piped or loud music
Real ales and a good choice of wine
Friendly welcoming staff
Friendly customers - not pompous prats
A dog lolling by the fire would be ideal, if not I'll accept a cat
Candlelit tables
Comfortable chairs - squashy sofas would be ideal and if they're mismatched so much the better
Good food at reasonable prices, ideally without things on a bed of pureed mash and accompanied by a jus
Cosy - not too smart or posh
No fruit machines or loud games with flashing lights
The Tollemache Arms did reasonably well. I ticked off a thatched roof, log fires, low beams, and the stone-flagged floors. Also present was the friendly Landlord, real ale (even if Keith isn't keen on Charles Wells Bombardier). It was cosy and welcoming and even though we didn't eat there, we saw it was a runner up for some Good Food award, so that looked promising. Harrington is a fairly remote village of thatched houses and is far enough away from main roads to make it nice and quiet. There were no fruit machines, only a skittles tables in the main entrance so that was fine.
There was however music playing, although not obtrusively, and two pompous prats having a conversation about the price of Ferrari tyres which spoiled things a bit so I'll deduct a few points for that. And there was no animal at all, so that's another point off. Overall I gave the pub 6/10 so not bad for a start!
On the way home we became completely lost, which was hilarious seeing as we were about 5 miles from home. I went a different way to the outward journey and we ended up on the narrowest single track road with no road signs at all and utter darkness. It could only happen to us!
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Some favourite summery photos...
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| St Ives, Cornwall |
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| St Ives, Cornwall |
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| Mallorca |
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| Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca |
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| Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca |
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| Mikey, aged about 15 months, Paros, Greece |
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| Paros, Greece |
Dark days of November
Today has been a real dark, gloomy day, the sort of day that gives winter a bad name. Keith and I were in together at work and he sorted out yet another blocked toilet. I suppose kids and loo paper don't mix so we'll always be at the mercy of blocked drains!
We both managed to lose each other in Tesco's...I said I'd meet him by the flower stall but he misunderstood me and thought I said I'd find him in the household section where he went in search of caustic soda. We must have stood waiting for each other for a good 15 minutes and there were a few cross words when we eventually reunited over the roses!
After work I dragged him back out into the cold, damp chilly air to find a school in Kettering where I'm going to on Saturday for a day's Adult Education course. I will learn How to Write a Novel, presumably in a better way than the one I've already written, which is pants!
We both managed to lose each other in Tesco's...I said I'd meet him by the flower stall but he misunderstood me and thought I said I'd find him in the household section where he went in search of caustic soda. We must have stood waiting for each other for a good 15 minutes and there were a few cross words when we eventually reunited over the roses!
After work I dragged him back out into the cold, damp chilly air to find a school in Kettering where I'm going to on Saturday for a day's Adult Education course. I will learn How to Write a Novel, presumably in a better way than the one I've already written, which is pants!
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Life's too short to drink bad wine...
On our regular jaunts to France we only ever buy French wine as I feel bad buying foreign wines on French soil. The other week I treated myself to six bottles of Redwood Creek Merlot from the US and six bottles of Ocean's Edge Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand to pad out our sorry looking wine rack. We still have a few bottles of red hanging in there from France and I opened one tonight, a Southern wine that looked as if it might be OK.
I decanted it into a jug (which looked remarkably like a container for a very large sample!) and let it breathe for a while, sloshing it around every now and then to release all those - hopefully - lovely aromas. When I took a mouthful, Keith knew at once how I felt about it - it was horrible. I think that over the years my palate has changed and I love all the gorgeous tastes and smells you get from New World wines, such as the US, South America, South Africa and Australia. I stuck with it for a while, but as my title says, life really is too short to drink something that you don't like. Keith thought it was acceptable (and it probably will be with a hearty meaty stew) so it's back in the kitchen and he can drink from it whenever he wants. There wasn't anything bad about the French red, it just tasted thin and bitter in comparison with some of the reds I've had lately, and that includes a wonderful red German wine which should be thin but certainly wasn't!
I have a theory that French wines are made to be drunk with food, whereas a lot of the New World wines are happy to be enjoyed on their own. It's amazing how a French wine will transform into something delicious when it has a partner!
I decanted it into a jug (which looked remarkably like a container for a very large sample!) and let it breathe for a while, sloshing it around every now and then to release all those - hopefully - lovely aromas. When I took a mouthful, Keith knew at once how I felt about it - it was horrible. I think that over the years my palate has changed and I love all the gorgeous tastes and smells you get from New World wines, such as the US, South America, South Africa and Australia. I stuck with it for a while, but as my title says, life really is too short to drink something that you don't like. Keith thought it was acceptable (and it probably will be with a hearty meaty stew) so it's back in the kitchen and he can drink from it whenever he wants. There wasn't anything bad about the French red, it just tasted thin and bitter in comparison with some of the reds I've had lately, and that includes a wonderful red German wine which should be thin but certainly wasn't!
I have a theory that French wines are made to be drunk with food, whereas a lot of the New World wines are happy to be enjoyed on their own. It's amazing how a French wine will transform into something delicious when it has a partner!
Monday 15 November 2010
Ooops!
I was a bit over-zealous with the cleaning at work today...
I thought it would be a good idea to try and dust the girders in the roof and all was going well until I sent a big puff of dust in front of one of our smoke detectors which set all the alarm bells ringing! Thinking that the Fire Brigade would be on their way (they're literally just around the corner!) I went into a mad panic and sent Dad off upstairs to turn the alarm off.
Luckily, when I rang the local Fire Brigade they weren't on their way and within a few minutes the awful wailing noise was silenced and all was back to normal. I did laugh half an hour later, though, when the Chubb maintenance man came in to do his six-month check! At least we knew the smoke detectors were working!
I thought it would be a good idea to try and dust the girders in the roof and all was going well until I sent a big puff of dust in front of one of our smoke detectors which set all the alarm bells ringing! Thinking that the Fire Brigade would be on their way (they're literally just around the corner!) I went into a mad panic and sent Dad off upstairs to turn the alarm off.
Luckily, when I rang the local Fire Brigade they weren't on their way and within a few minutes the awful wailing noise was silenced and all was back to normal. I did laugh half an hour later, though, when the Chubb maintenance man came in to do his six-month check! At least we knew the smoke detectors were working!
Sunday 14 November 2010
The weekend
Another weekend has flown by and it's Sunday evening. I've been able to spend some time on the family tree again, in between my other job as a taxi driver.
Yesterday flew over. Sophie and Susie had a great time at Pizza Hut before having a look around the shops in Kettering and then seeing Paranormal Activity 2 at the Odeon, which frightened them both to bits. We picked them up at 5pm and drove Susie home and then managed a very relaxing hour in the conservatory with a game of cards and a drink. I also managed, finally, to get Mikey's passport back from Sarah and Liam so that will be sent off on Monday.
Today the weather was dull and damp, very different from the sunshine of yesterday, and we drove over to Milton Keynes with mum in the afternoon for some shopping. It was very busy in the centre but we found a space in the car park after queuing for a while and then we braved the crowds in M&S for a coffee and the first mince pie of the season.
Sophie spent an age in New Look with mum while I had a browse in Waterstone's. When I went back to join them, Sophie had an armful of clothes but she still managed to con me out of £10 to buy an eyeshadow primer from a make-up range called Urban Decay in Debenhams! At her age I certainly wasn't spending money on make-up but she definitely knows what she wants and has far more expertise than me! We tried on some smellies so the scents in the car on the way home were very mixed!
It's getting dark now at about 4pm and we were treated to a beautiful sunset. The sky was layered in blues and pinks and I only wish I'd been able to stop and take a photo. It feels like it's getting colder again which suits me fine!
Yesterday flew over. Sophie and Susie had a great time at Pizza Hut before having a look around the shops in Kettering and then seeing Paranormal Activity 2 at the Odeon, which frightened them both to bits. We picked them up at 5pm and drove Susie home and then managed a very relaxing hour in the conservatory with a game of cards and a drink. I also managed, finally, to get Mikey's passport back from Sarah and Liam so that will be sent off on Monday.
Today the weather was dull and damp, very different from the sunshine of yesterday, and we drove over to Milton Keynes with mum in the afternoon for some shopping. It was very busy in the centre but we found a space in the car park after queuing for a while and then we braved the crowds in M&S for a coffee and the first mince pie of the season.
Sophie spent an age in New Look with mum while I had a browse in Waterstone's. When I went back to join them, Sophie had an armful of clothes but she still managed to con me out of £10 to buy an eyeshadow primer from a make-up range called Urban Decay in Debenhams! At her age I certainly wasn't spending money on make-up but she definitely knows what she wants and has far more expertise than me! We tried on some smellies so the scents in the car on the way home were very mixed!
It's getting dark now at about 4pm and we were treated to a beautiful sunset. The sky was layered in blues and pinks and I only wish I'd been able to stop and take a photo. It feels like it's getting colder again which suits me fine!
Saturday 13 November 2010
Musings on driving
There has been a bit of an argument raging over the last couple of days about driving. Luckily I drive a diesel car because if I didn't, I think I'd have to go out and sell my body on the streets (and that wouldn't get much!) as all I seem to do is fill the bloomin' thing up with fuel. I put between £30 and £40 of diesel in my car every week and I'm seriously thnking of getting a sign for the roof which says "Taxi".
On Thursday Sophie informed me that she was planning to go to Pizza Hut on Saturday with her friends. Fine, I thought, the nearest Pizza Hut is about 15 minutes away and as one of her friends lives practically next door, we could share lifts with her mum. Then she casually mentioned that she wanted to go to Sixfields, a huge out-of-town leisure complex that is 30 minutes drive away as they were thinking of going to the cinema, too! Well, I was sitting having a nice drink with hubby and I exploded. I'd already had to do most of her French homework as 24 years ago I studied the language and this was the last straw!
To cut a long story short, the argument has raged on for the last couple of days and the fact that I would be spending two hours in the car driving her to and from the cinema (the friend nearby dropped out of the arrangements - I wonder why?) doesn't seem to bother her one bit.
However, last night we came to a compromise and her friend is being dropped off here and I'm taking them to Kettering, thereby saving at least an hour in travelling time.
I used to love driving, but just lately it's become a pain. The whole country seems full of roadworks - even the village has temporary traffic lights! - and every stretch of road is lined with cones. I think it's mainly about resurfacing after the hard winter we had last year when the roads were littered with enormous potholes. I'm all for paying to use the motorways as they do in Europe. Last year in France we travelled 2,500 miles with not one single traffic jam and the privatised motorways were an absolute joy to drive on - smooth, fast and well-maintained. We should abolish road tax and have tolls instead. Simples!
On Thursday Sophie informed me that she was planning to go to Pizza Hut on Saturday with her friends. Fine, I thought, the nearest Pizza Hut is about 15 minutes away and as one of her friends lives practically next door, we could share lifts with her mum. Then she casually mentioned that she wanted to go to Sixfields, a huge out-of-town leisure complex that is 30 minutes drive away as they were thinking of going to the cinema, too! Well, I was sitting having a nice drink with hubby and I exploded. I'd already had to do most of her French homework as 24 years ago I studied the language and this was the last straw!
To cut a long story short, the argument has raged on for the last couple of days and the fact that I would be spending two hours in the car driving her to and from the cinema (the friend nearby dropped out of the arrangements - I wonder why?) doesn't seem to bother her one bit.
However, last night we came to a compromise and her friend is being dropped off here and I'm taking them to Kettering, thereby saving at least an hour in travelling time.
I used to love driving, but just lately it's become a pain. The whole country seems full of roadworks - even the village has temporary traffic lights! - and every stretch of road is lined with cones. I think it's mainly about resurfacing after the hard winter we had last year when the roads were littered with enormous potholes. I'm all for paying to use the motorways as they do in Europe. Last year in France we travelled 2,500 miles with not one single traffic jam and the privatised motorways were an absolute joy to drive on - smooth, fast and well-maintained. We should abolish road tax and have tolls instead. Simples!
Thursday 11 November 2010
Wild weather!
It's been another wild and windy day and as I write this, I can hear the boom outside as the wind whips through the trees and around the houses, rattling the windows and making me feel all safe and warm inside. I went out with mum today and we must have driven through the edges of a storm - all the leaves were flying about in a mad rush and the sky constantly changed from blue to black. It was very exhilarating!
I love this poem - I've no idea who wrote it as I first saw it carved onto some wood at Pitsford reservoir but it sums up today perfectly!
I love this poem - I've no idea who wrote it as I first saw it carved onto some wood at Pitsford reservoir but it sums up today perfectly!
Calm weather is for calm souls
But the light that comes
Through the whirling trees
When the wind is high
Stirs the blood of the wild creatures
Who dance to the rhythm
And sing with the singing leaves
But the light that comes
Through the whirling trees
When the wind is high
Stirs the blood of the wild creatures
Who dance to the rhythm
And sing with the singing leaves
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Raw Emotion
Tuesday 9 November
Yesterday was mum's birthday and I wanted to get into work early to decorate her desk, but we all overslept! I dashed into work and rushed around blowing up balloons and putting a banner on her chair so she was thrilled when she walked in and saw her cards and presents.
I was feeling a little guilty as we were off to the WWE at the O2 in the evening but dad had arranged to take her out to her favourite restaurant so that had pleased her.
We left for the O2 and had a good journey down until we got to the Blackwall Tunnel which was a bit congested - only to be expected at rush hour, I suppose! Parking was easy and within minutes we were inside the O2 and looking for somewhere to eat. We chose Garfunkels this time and had an OK meal before queuing at the Merchandise stand to buy the children tee-shirts. The lines were horrendous and I can't imagine the amount of money they must have taken!
Our seats this time were closer to the Wrestling ring but almost at ground level so when the crowds around the ring stood up to see their heroes we had to stand as well! The event wasn't being televised and I felt it was flatter than last time - there was no famous host, no huge screen showing close-ups of what was happening and I have to admit to not being as entranced with it as I was before! Sophie loved it to bits and that was the main thing, but I think Mikey had trouble seeing what was going on which must have spoiled it for him a bit.
The event ended with a big fight between John Cena and some other bloke and then there was a mass exodus. We had one last drink in a bar to let the crowds disperse so it was almost 11pm when we finally drove out of the car-park. Everything was going well until we reached a huge traffic jam, unbelievable when you think it was so late at night. One of the main roads had been closed for roadworks so that held us up for about half an hour.
Further problems awaited us on the M11 as they'd closed the motorway between two junctions so it was a very, very late 1am when we finally drew up outside the house and breathed a huge sigh of relief that we were home!
Yesterday was mum's birthday and I wanted to get into work early to decorate her desk, but we all overslept! I dashed into work and rushed around blowing up balloons and putting a banner on her chair so she was thrilled when she walked in and saw her cards and presents.
I was feeling a little guilty as we were off to the WWE at the O2 in the evening but dad had arranged to take her out to her favourite restaurant so that had pleased her.
We left for the O2 and had a good journey down until we got to the Blackwall Tunnel which was a bit congested - only to be expected at rush hour, I suppose! Parking was easy and within minutes we were inside the O2 and looking for somewhere to eat. We chose Garfunkels this time and had an OK meal before queuing at the Merchandise stand to buy the children tee-shirts. The lines were horrendous and I can't imagine the amount of money they must have taken!
Our seats this time were closer to the Wrestling ring but almost at ground level so when the crowds around the ring stood up to see their heroes we had to stand as well! The event wasn't being televised and I felt it was flatter than last time - there was no famous host, no huge screen showing close-ups of what was happening and I have to admit to not being as entranced with it as I was before! Sophie loved it to bits and that was the main thing, but I think Mikey had trouble seeing what was going on which must have spoiled it for him a bit.
The event ended with a big fight between John Cena and some other bloke and then there was a mass exodus. We had one last drink in a bar to let the crowds disperse so it was almost 11pm when we finally drove out of the car-park. Everything was going well until we reached a huge traffic jam, unbelievable when you think it was so late at night. One of the main roads had been closed for roadworks so that held us up for about half an hour.
Further problems awaited us on the M11 as they'd closed the motorway between two junctions so it was a very, very late 1am when we finally drew up outside the house and breathed a huge sigh of relief that we were home!
Monday 8 November 2010
Day into night
Today has been horrible weather! I awoke to the sound of the wind and the rain beating against the window and it never stopped all day, making everything dark and gloomy and totally miserable!
Keith came into work with me today and helped us scrub the floors - always our favourite job! Dad was cleaning out all the extractor fans in the kitchen so we had a busy day and every time we opened the door, all the wet leaves blew in! It was yuk!
When I got home it was straight into the bath to get warm and a lazy evening followed. Tomorrow we're off to London to the O2 for the wrestling again so that's something to look forward to!
Keith came into work with me today and helped us scrub the floors - always our favourite job! Dad was cleaning out all the extractor fans in the kitchen so we had a busy day and every time we opened the door, all the wet leaves blew in! It was yuk!
When I got home it was straight into the bath to get warm and a lazy evening followed. Tomorrow we're off to London to the O2 for the wrestling again so that's something to look forward to!
Sunday 7 November 2010
Mercy Mission
Yesterday my Nan was not well and I told Mum that if she was no better today, I'd be happy to go down to Kent with her. At around 8am mum phoned to say that Nan was still feeling poorly and she said that we'd both make the journey south to see her.
When we arrived Nan said she felt dizzy so we told her to rest and I went to the local shop to buy her some chicken soup which I always think is brilliant if you're not feeling well. Sure enough, after a bowl of soup, she felt a lot better and we think it was the tablets the doctor gave her yesterday that she'd taken on an empty stomach.
He said she has a viral infection of her inner ear which is causing the nausea and dizziness so hopefully tomorrow after a good night's sleep she'll be much better.
We stayed with her all day and left her feeling more like her old self. She'll be 91 next month but is as strong as an ox and I can see her living for a good few more years yet!
The journey to and from Kent was OK and I arrived home at 7pm to a glass of good white wine and the aromas of roast chicken. The temperature outside had dropped to about 3c on the way home and I think we're in for a frosty night!
When we arrived Nan said she felt dizzy so we told her to rest and I went to the local shop to buy her some chicken soup which I always think is brilliant if you're not feeling well. Sure enough, after a bowl of soup, she felt a lot better and we think it was the tablets the doctor gave her yesterday that she'd taken on an empty stomach.
He said she has a viral infection of her inner ear which is causing the nausea and dizziness so hopefully tomorrow after a good night's sleep she'll be much better.
We stayed with her all day and left her feeling more like her old self. She'll be 91 next month but is as strong as an ox and I can see her living for a good few more years yet!
The journey to and from Kent was OK and I arrived home at 7pm to a glass of good white wine and the aromas of roast chicken. The temperature outside had dropped to about 3c on the way home and I think we're in for a frosty night!
Saturday 6 November 2010
Bonfire Night photos
We had a great time at the Firework display in the village, despite the cold and the muddy field! When we got back home our baked potatoes and burgers were very welcome!
Here are some photos I took!
Here are some photos I took!
Getting colder...
Today has been far busier than I anticipated. I tried to resist rushing around first thing and managed a leisurely breakfast with lots of coffee, but by 11am the fates had decided otherwise. Sophie was working for us today and had to be in at 12 o'clock and I suggested to Keith that on the way home we call into Homebase to look for a black-out blind for our room and a curtain pole for the front door as the hallway gets a bit chilly in the winter. He (no doubt thinking about all the sporting fixtures on in the afternoon) insisted we go to Homebase on the way to work so we had to rush to go and get ready when we could have had an extra hour lazing about!
Our search in Homebase was very disappointing. Our window needed a blind of just over 4ft or 5ft if we fixed it outside the recess of the window. Could we find one to fit? No, we couldn't. We would have had to buy a 6ft one and cut it and Keith wasn't prepared to do that in case he made a pig's ear of it. The 4ft one would have been too small so we gave up on that and went to look for curtain poles instead. This was also problematic as we couldn't have one with fancy bits on the end as that would mean there would be a gap on either side of the curtain to let the draught in....it was all very confusing.
Abandoning Homebase we drove to Focus but they had even less choice although the children did amuse themselves for a while playing with the plungers by sticking them to the floor and then laughing at the small farty sounds they made when they eventually pulled them off...then they had hysterics when they picked up a ballcock and asked Keith what it was... So, that's the Christmas presents sorted as no doubt plumbing implements will amuse them for hours!
We dropped Sophie off at work and went home but I was back out again within minutes to go and see Sarah next door to ask her to sign Mikey's passport application for me. It's been something we've been meaning to do for ages as his passport expires a few days after our holiday next April so we need to renew it before we go. Sarah and Liam invited me in for coffee and I had the most wonderful welcome from Max the dog who nearly wagged his tail off as we had cuddles. I do miss my walks with him! We had a good chat and it was 2.30pm before I arrived back home again and then I had to go and pick Sophie up from work!
Going into work was a mistake as Jenny informed me they'd run out of lettuces...so? Well, it meant I then had to drive to the nearest shop, wait ages in the queue and then drive back to work again...arrrgggggh!
It was a relief to finally get home and have a cup of tea but tonight we're off to the village to see the bonfire and fireworks which I'm really looking forward to. We have burgers, hot dogs and jacket potatoes planned for when we get home and we're meeting mum and dad at the pub at 5.30pm. It looks like all our neighbours are going as well so there should be a good atmosphere!
Our search in Homebase was very disappointing. Our window needed a blind of just over 4ft or 5ft if we fixed it outside the recess of the window. Could we find one to fit? No, we couldn't. We would have had to buy a 6ft one and cut it and Keith wasn't prepared to do that in case he made a pig's ear of it. The 4ft one would have been too small so we gave up on that and went to look for curtain poles instead. This was also problematic as we couldn't have one with fancy bits on the end as that would mean there would be a gap on either side of the curtain to let the draught in....it was all very confusing.
Abandoning Homebase we drove to Focus but they had even less choice although the children did amuse themselves for a while playing with the plungers by sticking them to the floor and then laughing at the small farty sounds they made when they eventually pulled them off...then they had hysterics when they picked up a ballcock and asked Keith what it was... So, that's the Christmas presents sorted as no doubt plumbing implements will amuse them for hours!
We dropped Sophie off at work and went home but I was back out again within minutes to go and see Sarah next door to ask her to sign Mikey's passport application for me. It's been something we've been meaning to do for ages as his passport expires a few days after our holiday next April so we need to renew it before we go. Sarah and Liam invited me in for coffee and I had the most wonderful welcome from Max the dog who nearly wagged his tail off as we had cuddles. I do miss my walks with him! We had a good chat and it was 2.30pm before I arrived back home again and then I had to go and pick Sophie up from work!
Going into work was a mistake as Jenny informed me they'd run out of lettuces...so? Well, it meant I then had to drive to the nearest shop, wait ages in the queue and then drive back to work again...arrrgggggh!
It was a relief to finally get home and have a cup of tea but tonight we're off to the village to see the bonfire and fireworks which I'm really looking forward to. We have burgers, hot dogs and jacket potatoes planned for when we get home and we're meeting mum and dad at the pub at 5.30pm. It looks like all our neighbours are going as well so there should be a good atmosphere!
Bonfire Night washout!
Yesterday was grey, damp and miserable and by the evening the rain had set in, so probably spoiling many Bonfire Night parties and firework displays. I was very glad we had decided not to hold a party at work as we had had a busy day at work with the cleaning to do first thing as our daily cleaner was on holiday.
Back at home in the evening I heard a few fireworks going off but nothing like normal so maybe people decided to postpone them until Saturday evening!
Back at home in the evening I heard a few fireworks going off but nothing like normal so maybe people decided to postpone them until Saturday evening!
Thursday 4 November 2010
Back to work...
I hoped this morning I'd have a quiet day at work and my hopes were fulfilled. It was good to catch up with mum and dad and mum said she'd thoroughly enjoyed looking after the children who seemed to have had a better time than us!
In the car on the way to work I played my new CD by Alexi Murdoch which arrived from Amazon while I was away. I'd seen the film Away We Go and his music was featured on the soundtrack. I fell in love with the sound immediately and especially the track Orange Sky which was perfect for today as everything has been orange - the sky driving home, the leaves and the roads and paths covered in Autumnal orange.
Mikey went to a school disco in the evening and the weather turned wild and windy - it seems amazing that it's Friday already tomorrow!
In the car on the way to work I played my new CD by Alexi Murdoch which arrived from Amazon while I was away. I'd seen the film Away We Go and his music was featured on the soundtrack. I fell in love with the sound immediately and especially the track Orange Sky which was perfect for today as everything has been orange - the sky driving home, the leaves and the roads and paths covered in Autumnal orange.
Mikey went to a school disco in the evening and the weather turned wild and windy - it seems amazing that it's Friday already tomorrow!
Three days in Berlin...
Wednesday 3 November and a-wandering we will go...
Not impressed with the breakfast we had yesterday, we went to the hotel restaurant in the morning and had a better experience with lashings of coffee, fruit, boiled eggs and cold meats. Our feet still hurt from all the walking we did, and in particular the balls of our feet which really stung. I'd worn my walking boots but they'd still hurt me so we will have to re-think future trips and try not to cram too much into our days! I think an apartment would be a good idea - I just have to convince Keith it would be a good investment!
Back in the room, we packed and checked out and left our luggage in their secure room. We bought day tickets again and took the underground to Alexanderplatz to shop at the huge Galeria department store there. After much deliberation I bought Sophie a beautiful scarf, my mum a huge box of chocolates, my dad a bottle of red German wine (hard to buy in the UK) and Mikey some Lego. Laden down with our purchases, our heavy coats (it was sunny and mild) and feeling grouchy and hot, we wandered around not sure what to do and feeling very reluctant to go on another route march. We had planned to take the train to the airport at about 2pm and there wasn't enough time to go far, but we couldn't see the point of wandering around aimlessly.
I suggested having a look at the Marienkirche, a gorgeous 14th century church which sits in the shadow of the TV Tower. I went inside and lit a candle as I always do in memory of loved ones who have died and we had a look around, the beautiful architecture and atmosphere spoiled slightly by two men buffing the floor in front of the altar.
Back outside again, we sat on a bench in the sun and then made our way back to the Nikolai Quarter where I bought a bottle of the red Dornfelder in a small wine shop. It had better be good! I suggested finding a bar and sitting outside in the sun but a few places were closed so we headed for a lovely cosy cafe and spent a couple of hours in there with a drink. It was blissfully quiet, each table was adorned with a red rose and a candle and the smell of lunch being cooked was wonderful. We were very relaxed and contented sitting there and I almost forgot that we were on our way home.
As the place filled with lunch time diners, we paid up and left before heading back to the hotel, collecting our luggage and going to the station. This time, as we climbed up the flights of stairs, we had a heavy(ish) suitcase with us and it was hard going!
The journey to the airport was smooth and easy but we fell foul of easyJet again by trying to check in our luggage too early. I thought with bag drop you could put your bags in at any time, but no. This is what happened last time when we had waited over an hour to check in, to be told by a very brusque, rude man that we had to go to the back of the queue and wait all over again! Luckily this time, there was hardly anyone about, and after waiting 40 minutes we were successful. In the meantime we chatted to a very pleasant American man travelling to London to see his girlfriend and who'd been in Germany studying.
All too soon, we were boarding our flight (still with empty seats) and I gazed at the gorgeous sunset that was hidden from the ground by the thick cloud.
We made good time on the way home, distributed presents, changed into our comfy dressing gowns and collapsed in a heap on the sofa, tired but very happy!
Not impressed with the breakfast we had yesterday, we went to the hotel restaurant in the morning and had a better experience with lashings of coffee, fruit, boiled eggs and cold meats. Our feet still hurt from all the walking we did, and in particular the balls of our feet which really stung. I'd worn my walking boots but they'd still hurt me so we will have to re-think future trips and try not to cram too much into our days! I think an apartment would be a good idea - I just have to convince Keith it would be a good investment!
Back in the room, we packed and checked out and left our luggage in their secure room. We bought day tickets again and took the underground to Alexanderplatz to shop at the huge Galeria department store there. After much deliberation I bought Sophie a beautiful scarf, my mum a huge box of chocolates, my dad a bottle of red German wine (hard to buy in the UK) and Mikey some Lego. Laden down with our purchases, our heavy coats (it was sunny and mild) and feeling grouchy and hot, we wandered around not sure what to do and feeling very reluctant to go on another route march. We had planned to take the train to the airport at about 2pm and there wasn't enough time to go far, but we couldn't see the point of wandering around aimlessly.
I suggested having a look at the Marienkirche, a gorgeous 14th century church which sits in the shadow of the TV Tower. I went inside and lit a candle as I always do in memory of loved ones who have died and we had a look around, the beautiful architecture and atmosphere spoiled slightly by two men buffing the floor in front of the altar.
Back outside again, we sat on a bench in the sun and then made our way back to the Nikolai Quarter where I bought a bottle of the red Dornfelder in a small wine shop. It had better be good! I suggested finding a bar and sitting outside in the sun but a few places were closed so we headed for a lovely cosy cafe and spent a couple of hours in there with a drink. It was blissfully quiet, each table was adorned with a red rose and a candle and the smell of lunch being cooked was wonderful. We were very relaxed and contented sitting there and I almost forgot that we were on our way home.
As the place filled with lunch time diners, we paid up and left before heading back to the hotel, collecting our luggage and going to the station. This time, as we climbed up the flights of stairs, we had a heavy(ish) suitcase with us and it was hard going!
The journey to the airport was smooth and easy but we fell foul of easyJet again by trying to check in our luggage too early. I thought with bag drop you could put your bags in at any time, but no. This is what happened last time when we had waited over an hour to check in, to be told by a very brusque, rude man that we had to go to the back of the queue and wait all over again! Luckily this time, there was hardly anyone about, and after waiting 40 minutes we were successful. In the meantime we chatted to a very pleasant American man travelling to London to see his girlfriend and who'd been in Germany studying.
All too soon, we were boarding our flight (still with empty seats) and I gazed at the gorgeous sunset that was hidden from the ground by the thick cloud.
We made good time on the way home, distributed presents, changed into our comfy dressing gowns and collapsed in a heap on the sofa, tired but very happy!
Three days in Berlin...
Tuesday 2 November and a bad choice for breakfast...
We were able to get a really good deal on our hotel room, but it didn't include breakfast which was a pricey 14 euros so we went off to Alexanderplatz for our first meal of the day. Before we did that, though, we bought day tickets for the trains as we were planning to go to Treptower Park to see a little bit of Russia.
We went for breakfast at a restaurant right underneath one of the tallest hotels in Berlin, the Park Inn. Last year we'd taken my parents there for a snack after we arrived in Berlin and the food was good. We chose fried eggs, bacon and toast and coffee and hoped that it would set us up for the day. We were sadly mistaken. A small square plate arrived with two eggs, two strips of Slimmer of the Year bacon and the smallest slice of toast I've ever seen in my life. Bizarrely, this was adorned with slices of orange, cucumber and a couple of leaves of lettuce! For this we paid the princely sum of 7 euros! Bah!!! Next time, hold the awful garnish and give us some more toast!!!
A little bit of Russia in Berlin
Feeling disappointed we made for the station and the puzzle of the day: how to get to Treptower Park. It turned out to be very tricky! On the timetables there was no mention of the station we wanted so we assumed that we had to go to another station and change. But which one? We tried the old East Berlin station first, Ostbahnhoff, but this was wrong. We then took the train back to Alexanderplatz and examined the timetables again, picking an underground station near to Treptower Park. Luckily it was the right choice and within half an hour we were in the park and looking for the Soviet Memorial, erected after the Second World War to commemorate the fallen Soviet soldiers who had died in the battle for Berlin.
Treptower Park is huge and very leafy. There were teams of people out clearing the leaves and the drone of a leaf-blower shattered the peace at the memorial itself. The first sign of the memorial site was a huge arch standing at the head of a long avenue of trees.
At the end of the long avenue was a statue of a grieving woman, representing the Russian motherland mourning her lost sons.
As we turned we could see two huge structures and in the distance the 35ft high statue of a Russian soldier carrying a child and trampling on the German swastika.
There were very few people about, the weather was grey and misty and it was like how I imagined Soviet Russia to be. We climbed the steps of the huge statue which sits on top of the resting place of 5,000 fallen soldiers and had a look inside at the mural and wreaths of flowers.
Walking slowly back we had a look at the huge stone tablets lining the route which told a story and contained quotes from Stalin himself which I thought were somewhat ironic seeing as he had murdered millions of his own innocent people. Amazingly, there was no graffiti here, something which covers every available surface in the rest of Berlin. The graffiti artists would have had a field day here with all the smooth stone but we did see a Polizei car driving slowly around so maybe they were there to prevent such things happening. We did wonder who maintained the memorial (it had recently been renovated) and how the Germans felt about having such a huge area dedicated to the memory of their enemies.
Next on our list of things to see was the only remaining Watchtower in Berlin and it was nearby (although still a fair walk!). We found it easily, tucked away in a park by the side of a busy road. There were no signs pointing it out and it was closed up until the Spring. The bottom half was covered in graffiti and it looked very forlorn and forgotten about.
Looking on our map we found we were near-ish to a U-Bahn station and so off we went again, our feet aching with all the walking! We were in a rough looking area of Berlin now but we never felt threatened at all and soon we were at the station and yet more flights and flights of stairs! We managed to get back onto the U2 line which we regarded as our local and took the underground to Potsdamer Platz for lunch and a visit to the Topography of Terrors.
Lunch was a much better affair. We chose - strangely enough - a restaurant which boasts 100 beers and enjoyed a large glass of Kostritzer each, a fabulous dark beer that is usually served in our hotel. Although we only wanted a sandwich, we were tempted by the half chicken and chips on the daily menu at just 6,80 euros. The waitress took our order and after a short while placed a steaming bowl of spicy soup in front of us. We looked at each other in surprise but tucked in. It was delicious! Next came the chicken, which clearly had not been on a diet, served with a pile of chips and a generous bowl of salad. We were both stuffed!
Feeling a warm rosy glow, and amazed at the good value compared to breakfast in the morning, we staggered out and walked through the Christmas Market that surrounded the entrance to the shopping mall at Potsdamer Platz. I could smell Gluhwein but I ignored the temptation and we walked the half mile to the Topography of Terrors.
We visited this outdoor exhibition four years ago when we first visited Berlin and it was very scruffy with no English translations at all. Now, however, it looked like a lot of money had been spent on it and it was beautifully laid out with fantastic explanations about the Nazi rise to power and what happened between 1933 and 1945. The exhibition sits on top of the old headquarters of the SS and the Gestapo and there is a long stretch of original wall standing next to it. It was very busy with several groups of schoolchildren but we were so tired by now we felt we couldn't do it justice. To read every banner and have a good walk round would have taken us another hour so we reluctantly retraced our steps back to the underground station and made our weary way back to the hotel for a much needed lie down!
An indulgent evening...
After a much needed rest and a hot shower we decided to eat at the hotel. I joined Keith at the bar and ordered a bottle of the Peek-a-Boo which was delicious. After my second bottle (they were only 25cl!) I fancied a cocktail so I chose a Margarita. Chrizz, our barman, is a real whizz with cocktails and has invented his own to grace the hotel bar menu. My Margarita was delicious and was a perfect aperitif before dinner which was 100% better then the night before. I chose Wiener Schnitzel, one of my favourites, served with crispy potatoes and onions. Keith went for the mixed meat platter and we drank a beautiful bottle of German Dornfelder wine from the Pfalz region. It slipped down very easily and went well with our shared plate of cheeses and bread which followed our main course.
The restaurant was lovely and quiet but the bar was busier so we settled ourselves at a table and I had my promised White Russian, a blend of Vodka, Kahlua and cream. It was so delicious that I had three! As you can appreciate, we staggered off to bed and had a very good night's sleep!
We were able to get a really good deal on our hotel room, but it didn't include breakfast which was a pricey 14 euros so we went off to Alexanderplatz for our first meal of the day. Before we did that, though, we bought day tickets for the trains as we were planning to go to Treptower Park to see a little bit of Russia.
We went for breakfast at a restaurant right underneath one of the tallest hotels in Berlin, the Park Inn. Last year we'd taken my parents there for a snack after we arrived in Berlin and the food was good. We chose fried eggs, bacon and toast and coffee and hoped that it would set us up for the day. We were sadly mistaken. A small square plate arrived with two eggs, two strips of Slimmer of the Year bacon and the smallest slice of toast I've ever seen in my life. Bizarrely, this was adorned with slices of orange, cucumber and a couple of leaves of lettuce! For this we paid the princely sum of 7 euros! Bah!!! Next time, hold the awful garnish and give us some more toast!!!
A little bit of Russia in Berlin
Feeling disappointed we made for the station and the puzzle of the day: how to get to Treptower Park. It turned out to be very tricky! On the timetables there was no mention of the station we wanted so we assumed that we had to go to another station and change. But which one? We tried the old East Berlin station first, Ostbahnhoff, but this was wrong. We then took the train back to Alexanderplatz and examined the timetables again, picking an underground station near to Treptower Park. Luckily it was the right choice and within half an hour we were in the park and looking for the Soviet Memorial, erected after the Second World War to commemorate the fallen Soviet soldiers who had died in the battle for Berlin.
Treptower Park is huge and very leafy. There were teams of people out clearing the leaves and the drone of a leaf-blower shattered the peace at the memorial itself. The first sign of the memorial site was a huge arch standing at the head of a long avenue of trees.
At the end of the long avenue was a statue of a grieving woman, representing the Russian motherland mourning her lost sons.
As we turned we could see two huge structures and in the distance the 35ft high statue of a Russian soldier carrying a child and trampling on the German swastika.
There were very few people about, the weather was grey and misty and it was like how I imagined Soviet Russia to be. We climbed the steps of the huge statue which sits on top of the resting place of 5,000 fallen soldiers and had a look inside at the mural and wreaths of flowers.
Walking slowly back we had a look at the huge stone tablets lining the route which told a story and contained quotes from Stalin himself which I thought were somewhat ironic seeing as he had murdered millions of his own innocent people. Amazingly, there was no graffiti here, something which covers every available surface in the rest of Berlin. The graffiti artists would have had a field day here with all the smooth stone but we did see a Polizei car driving slowly around so maybe they were there to prevent such things happening. We did wonder who maintained the memorial (it had recently been renovated) and how the Germans felt about having such a huge area dedicated to the memory of their enemies.
 |
| Stone tablet featuring a carving of Lenin and a quote from Stalin |
Next on our list of things to see was the only remaining Watchtower in Berlin and it was nearby (although still a fair walk!). We found it easily, tucked away in a park by the side of a busy road. There were no signs pointing it out and it was closed up until the Spring. The bottom half was covered in graffiti and it looked very forlorn and forgotten about.
Looking on our map we found we were near-ish to a U-Bahn station and so off we went again, our feet aching with all the walking! We were in a rough looking area of Berlin now but we never felt threatened at all and soon we were at the station and yet more flights and flights of stairs! We managed to get back onto the U2 line which we regarded as our local and took the underground to Potsdamer Platz for lunch and a visit to the Topography of Terrors.
Lunch was a much better affair. We chose - strangely enough - a restaurant which boasts 100 beers and enjoyed a large glass of Kostritzer each, a fabulous dark beer that is usually served in our hotel. Although we only wanted a sandwich, we were tempted by the half chicken and chips on the daily menu at just 6,80 euros. The waitress took our order and after a short while placed a steaming bowl of spicy soup in front of us. We looked at each other in surprise but tucked in. It was delicious! Next came the chicken, which clearly had not been on a diet, served with a pile of chips and a generous bowl of salad. We were both stuffed!
Feeling a warm rosy glow, and amazed at the good value compared to breakfast in the morning, we staggered out and walked through the Christmas Market that surrounded the entrance to the shopping mall at Potsdamer Platz. I could smell Gluhwein but I ignored the temptation and we walked the half mile to the Topography of Terrors.
We visited this outdoor exhibition four years ago when we first visited Berlin and it was very scruffy with no English translations at all. Now, however, it looked like a lot of money had been spent on it and it was beautifully laid out with fantastic explanations about the Nazi rise to power and what happened between 1933 and 1945. The exhibition sits on top of the old headquarters of the SS and the Gestapo and there is a long stretch of original wall standing next to it. It was very busy with several groups of schoolchildren but we were so tired by now we felt we couldn't do it justice. To read every banner and have a good walk round would have taken us another hour so we reluctantly retraced our steps back to the underground station and made our weary way back to the hotel for a much needed lie down!
 | |||
| Topography of Terror exhibition |
 |
| One of the few remaining sections of the wall |
An indulgent evening...
After a much needed rest and a hot shower we decided to eat at the hotel. I joined Keith at the bar and ordered a bottle of the Peek-a-Boo which was delicious. After my second bottle (they were only 25cl!) I fancied a cocktail so I chose a Margarita. Chrizz, our barman, is a real whizz with cocktails and has invented his own to grace the hotel bar menu. My Margarita was delicious and was a perfect aperitif before dinner which was 100% better then the night before. I chose Wiener Schnitzel, one of my favourites, served with crispy potatoes and onions. Keith went for the mixed meat platter and we drank a beautiful bottle of German Dornfelder wine from the Pfalz region. It slipped down very easily and went well with our shared plate of cheeses and bread which followed our main course.
The restaurant was lovely and quiet but the bar was busier so we settled ourselves at a table and I had my promised White Russian, a blend of Vodka, Kahlua and cream. It was so delicious that I had three! As you can appreciate, we staggered off to bed and had a very good night's sleep!
Three days in Berlin...
Monday 1 November and a celebrity sighting!
We had a very early start on Monday morning and left the children sleeping (or so we thought) in bed. I'd set the alarm for Sophie and told her that my mum would be around at 7am to make sure she was up and to get both children ready for the day. Mikey was lucky enough to have two training days off school, but poor Sophie had to go back and she wasn't amused!
We had a good run down to Luton Airport but the M1 was very busy, even at 4.30am! Just as we neared the car park to leave our car for the three days we were away, my mobile rang. My blood rang cold when I saw it was Sophie... I hadn't been entirely happy about leaving them in the house, despite it being locked up like Fort Knox and all the downstairs lights on. Anyway, Sophie said that Mikey had woken up and wouldn't stop coughing. He'd been fine all weekend so I told her to give him some cough medicine and to try and go back to sleep. She was a bit upset as she was very tired but she told me she was OK. We parked the car and while we were waiting for the shuttle bus, I called again, this time getting Mikey who sounded absolutely fine, except for the bit about him having difficulty breathing! I went straight into panic mode and called my mum who was around to the house within minutes. She phoned me as we were going through security and reassured me that he was perfectly OK so it sounded like a bit of drama-mongering going on and a bit of "let's make mum feel really guilty!"
Anyway, I calmed down a lot (and did shed a tear or two in guilt) and Keith and I headed for Starbucks for a coffee and a pastry. We were flying with easyJet and I'd been dreading the flight, but up until now everything had been really smooth and easy (except I had to take off my walking boots going through security). We'd checked in online two weeks previously and bag drop was heaven compared to the normal scrum at check-in. I heartily recommend it even if you do have hold luggage as it was a complete breeze.
Just as we were about to amble off to check the departure gate I noticed a man standing nearby who looked very familiar...with a sudden jolt, I realised it was our very own England Manager, Fabio Capello! He was just loitering about wearing a very fetching navy blue blazer and talking into his mobile phone! He wandered off and we followed but there was no way I was going to go up and say something and everyone else seemed to be ignoring him as well!
True to form, just as Keith disappeared off to the loo, our departure gate flashed up and I went into panic mode again! I needn't have worried though, as we were among the first to make it to the gate and the Speedy Boarders were on the same bus as us! The flight was brilliant - we had a spare seat next to us and the plane was only half full so it was very pleasant and quiet. easyJet redeemed themselves!
Back in Berlin
For a change this visit, we decided to take a train to the hotel rather than a taxi. The very first time we went to Berlin we'd had the same idea but as we'd never travelled on the trains before we hadn't had a clue what to do and we'd just waited on an empty platform in the hope that something would arrive, which of course it hadn't. Maybe it was a good thing we gave up and hired a taxi as we could have ended up in Poland!
This time we knew exactly what to do, but even so, the scheduled train didn't turn up when it should have and it caught quite a few people out! We trudged back down the loooong ramp back to the station and then back up another one to a different platform. The long walks or flights of stairs are a feature of Berlin stations and I really wish I'd been wearing a pedometer to tell me exactly how many miles and steps we covered over the three days!
Luckily the train arrived and we sank thankfully into a seat for the twenty minute journey to our hotel. I love the transport system in Berlin. The trains are rarely late, are quiet, clean and comfortable and there is hardly ever a long wait. It was a real treat not to have to worry about driving for once.
Our main line train took us to Alexanderplatz and from there we took the U-Bahn to Markishes Museum which is a stop right next to our hotel, the Derag Grosser Kurfurst, named after Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg. There is a huge statue of him riding a horse attached to the foyer wall of the hotel and is very impressive!
This was our 7th visit to the hotel and we were able to check in straight away, which was great as we could unpack and use the loo, the first thing we seem to do when we get to our room! Is it a human way of marking our territory, I wonder!!!
We were delighted to find that the two bottles of water and two beers in the mini-bar were free and while we were unpacking there was a knock at the door and one of the staff handed me two bottles of a very pleasant "wine" called Peek-a-boo which was made from German sekt (sparkling wine) and cranberry juice, also free!
Our first afternoon was spent walking. We took a meandering path to the river Spree, looking at the boats moored up on the banks and admiring the view of the TV Tower in the distance. It was very mild and the leaves were falling like snow all around us. We crossed my personal road of hell, (a very busy six lane main thoroughfare that nearly killed me and my parents last year when the traffic lights were switched off to allow a convoy of dignitaries to sweep through after the Wall celebrations - in the ensuing chaos we crossed the road and a car nearly hit us) and walked along the river where we were amazed to see the tour boats still running. This area, on the banks of the River Spree, is known as the Nikolai Quarter and is my favourite bit of Berlin. Most of the cobbled streets of grand old houses were bombed in the war, but the area has been rebuilt and is full of little shops, restaurants and bars. I have my eye on an apartment there!
There was a lot of building and restoration work going on, something that we noticed all over Berlin. We always go and see what has happened to the old East German government building as on our first trip it was being slowly dismantled. It was a really ugly building and there are plans to build a new palace and forum to take its place.
We said hello to our old friend, the Berliner Dom, and then walked down the Unter den Linden towards the Brandenburg Gate, stopping on the way for a currywurst and beer! Everyone (apologies to vegetarians) who goes to Berlin has to have currywurst - a chopped up German sausage covered in a curry sauce. I'm sure there is a vegetarian alternative available, but Berliners are very much in love with pork and the humble pig features heavily on the menu!
We were able to walk through the Brandenburg Gate for once - in the past it's been roped off as there have been various events taking place and last year, for the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Wall, the whole place was heaving with people.
Retracing our first visit to the city, we meandered over to the Reichstag to see how long the queue was to get in. We've never been inside as there are always huge lines of people and today was no exception. Shrugging our shoulders and promising that we'd go next time, we looked around for a U-Bahn station and spotted one near the Government buildings. It was a brand new station and served the line U55 which must be the shortest line in the city as it only ran to Berlin's main station a few minutes away. Everything was gleaming steel and you could have eaten straight off the floor, it was so clean!
At the Hauptbahnhoff (where I dreamed of travelling to Moscow) we took a train back to Alexanderplatz and then the underground to the hotel. I'd wanted to have a bit of relaxation time in Berlin and it was lovely to get back to the hotel, have a hot bath and a snooze before dinner!
A TV dinner!
My absolute favourite place in Berlin is the bar of our hotel. My little bench seat is at one end and I love all the mirrors, the gleaming glasses and bottles and watching the barman make cocktails. He is an expert and has certificates on the walls to prove it! Keith went down for a drink before me while I phoned home and then I joined him for a couple of glasses of wine. It was supremely relaxing. The hotel restaurant was closed so after a few drinks we went in search of a place to eat in the Nikolai Quarter which is beautiful at night. There are lots and lots of places to choose from, from intimate little bars with candle-lit tables to cellar restaurants serving hearty meals. Looming above all this is the TV Tower which, if the atmosphere is right (fog and mist), has the appearance of a huge alien spaceship hovering above us. Lured by its lights and presence we made the decision to have dinner there, not bothering that the night sky was a bit misty.
It costs 20 euros to get in and you're whisked to the viewing platform and restaurant in a very speedy lift which makes my ears pop! We waited for a table to become free and then took our place on the revolving part which slowly shows you the sights of the city.
We've eaten at the TV Tower before and had excellent meals, but tonight we were both a bit disappointed. Our main course arrived a bit too swiftly for my liking and mine had, as a little extra, a paperclip nestling between my potato dumplings...I know I should have said something but the waitress was a little scary and I didn't want to be whisked off to a Berlin cell for impertinence...
I have to say something about potato dumplings, which Hitler obviously overlooked as the perfect ammunition in the war...they are solid and sink to the bottom of your stomach like cannonballs where they stay for days on end.
After our meal we walked slowly back to the hotel and to the refuge of bed where, as you can imagine after our long day, we slept like the dead!
We had a very early start on Monday morning and left the children sleeping (or so we thought) in bed. I'd set the alarm for Sophie and told her that my mum would be around at 7am to make sure she was up and to get both children ready for the day. Mikey was lucky enough to have two training days off school, but poor Sophie had to go back and she wasn't amused!
We had a good run down to Luton Airport but the M1 was very busy, even at 4.30am! Just as we neared the car park to leave our car for the three days we were away, my mobile rang. My blood rang cold when I saw it was Sophie... I hadn't been entirely happy about leaving them in the house, despite it being locked up like Fort Knox and all the downstairs lights on. Anyway, Sophie said that Mikey had woken up and wouldn't stop coughing. He'd been fine all weekend so I told her to give him some cough medicine and to try and go back to sleep. She was a bit upset as she was very tired but she told me she was OK. We parked the car and while we were waiting for the shuttle bus, I called again, this time getting Mikey who sounded absolutely fine, except for the bit about him having difficulty breathing! I went straight into panic mode and called my mum who was around to the house within minutes. She phoned me as we were going through security and reassured me that he was perfectly OK so it sounded like a bit of drama-mongering going on and a bit of "let's make mum feel really guilty!"
Anyway, I calmed down a lot (and did shed a tear or two in guilt) and Keith and I headed for Starbucks for a coffee and a pastry. We were flying with easyJet and I'd been dreading the flight, but up until now everything had been really smooth and easy (except I had to take off my walking boots going through security). We'd checked in online two weeks previously and bag drop was heaven compared to the normal scrum at check-in. I heartily recommend it even if you do have hold luggage as it was a complete breeze.
Just as we were about to amble off to check the departure gate I noticed a man standing nearby who looked very familiar...with a sudden jolt, I realised it was our very own England Manager, Fabio Capello! He was just loitering about wearing a very fetching navy blue blazer and talking into his mobile phone! He wandered off and we followed but there was no way I was going to go up and say something and everyone else seemed to be ignoring him as well!
True to form, just as Keith disappeared off to the loo, our departure gate flashed up and I went into panic mode again! I needn't have worried though, as we were among the first to make it to the gate and the Speedy Boarders were on the same bus as us! The flight was brilliant - we had a spare seat next to us and the plane was only half full so it was very pleasant and quiet. easyJet redeemed themselves!
Back in Berlin
For a change this visit, we decided to take a train to the hotel rather than a taxi. The very first time we went to Berlin we'd had the same idea but as we'd never travelled on the trains before we hadn't had a clue what to do and we'd just waited on an empty platform in the hope that something would arrive, which of course it hadn't. Maybe it was a good thing we gave up and hired a taxi as we could have ended up in Poland!
This time we knew exactly what to do, but even so, the scheduled train didn't turn up when it should have and it caught quite a few people out! We trudged back down the loooong ramp back to the station and then back up another one to a different platform. The long walks or flights of stairs are a feature of Berlin stations and I really wish I'd been wearing a pedometer to tell me exactly how many miles and steps we covered over the three days!
Luckily the train arrived and we sank thankfully into a seat for the twenty minute journey to our hotel. I love the transport system in Berlin. The trains are rarely late, are quiet, clean and comfortable and there is hardly ever a long wait. It was a real treat not to have to worry about driving for once.
Our main line train took us to Alexanderplatz and from there we took the U-Bahn to Markishes Museum which is a stop right next to our hotel, the Derag Grosser Kurfurst, named after Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg. There is a huge statue of him riding a horse attached to the foyer wall of the hotel and is very impressive!
This was our 7th visit to the hotel and we were able to check in straight away, which was great as we could unpack and use the loo, the first thing we seem to do when we get to our room! Is it a human way of marking our territory, I wonder!!!
We were delighted to find that the two bottles of water and two beers in the mini-bar were free and while we were unpacking there was a knock at the door and one of the staff handed me two bottles of a very pleasant "wine" called Peek-a-boo which was made from German sekt (sparkling wine) and cranberry juice, also free!
Our first afternoon was spent walking. We took a meandering path to the river Spree, looking at the boats moored up on the banks and admiring the view of the TV Tower in the distance. It was very mild and the leaves were falling like snow all around us. We crossed my personal road of hell, (a very busy six lane main thoroughfare that nearly killed me and my parents last year when the traffic lights were switched off to allow a convoy of dignitaries to sweep through after the Wall celebrations - in the ensuing chaos we crossed the road and a car nearly hit us) and walked along the river where we were amazed to see the tour boats still running. This area, on the banks of the River Spree, is known as the Nikolai Quarter and is my favourite bit of Berlin. Most of the cobbled streets of grand old houses were bombed in the war, but the area has been rebuilt and is full of little shops, restaurants and bars. I have my eye on an apartment there!
 | ||
| Boats on the Spree River |
 |
| A street in the Nikolai Quarter |
There was a lot of building and restoration work going on, something that we noticed all over Berlin. We always go and see what has happened to the old East German government building as on our first trip it was being slowly dismantled. It was a really ugly building and there are plans to build a new palace and forum to take its place.
We said hello to our old friend, the Berliner Dom, and then walked down the Unter den Linden towards the Brandenburg Gate, stopping on the way for a currywurst and beer! Everyone (apologies to vegetarians) who goes to Berlin has to have currywurst - a chopped up German sausage covered in a curry sauce. I'm sure there is a vegetarian alternative available, but Berliners are very much in love with pork and the humble pig features heavily on the menu!
 |
| Keith enjoying his Berliner Pilsner |
We were able to walk through the Brandenburg Gate for once - in the past it's been roped off as there have been various events taking place and last year, for the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Wall, the whole place was heaving with people.
 |
| The Reichstag |
Retracing our first visit to the city, we meandered over to the Reichstag to see how long the queue was to get in. We've never been inside as there are always huge lines of people and today was no exception. Shrugging our shoulders and promising that we'd go next time, we looked around for a U-Bahn station and spotted one near the Government buildings. It was a brand new station and served the line U55 which must be the shortest line in the city as it only ran to Berlin's main station a few minutes away. Everything was gleaming steel and you could have eaten straight off the floor, it was so clean!
At the Hauptbahnhoff (where I dreamed of travelling to Moscow) we took a train back to Alexanderplatz and then the underground to the hotel. I'd wanted to have a bit of relaxation time in Berlin and it was lovely to get back to the hotel, have a hot bath and a snooze before dinner!
A TV dinner!
My absolute favourite place in Berlin is the bar of our hotel. My little bench seat is at one end and I love all the mirrors, the gleaming glasses and bottles and watching the barman make cocktails. He is an expert and has certificates on the walls to prove it! Keith went down for a drink before me while I phoned home and then I joined him for a couple of glasses of wine. It was supremely relaxing. The hotel restaurant was closed so after a few drinks we went in search of a place to eat in the Nikolai Quarter which is beautiful at night. There are lots and lots of places to choose from, from intimate little bars with candle-lit tables to cellar restaurants serving hearty meals. Looming above all this is the TV Tower which, if the atmosphere is right (fog and mist), has the appearance of a huge alien spaceship hovering above us. Lured by its lights and presence we made the decision to have dinner there, not bothering that the night sky was a bit misty.
It costs 20 euros to get in and you're whisked to the viewing platform and restaurant in a very speedy lift which makes my ears pop! We waited for a table to become free and then took our place on the revolving part which slowly shows you the sights of the city.
We've eaten at the TV Tower before and had excellent meals, but tonight we were both a bit disappointed. Our main course arrived a bit too swiftly for my liking and mine had, as a little extra, a paperclip nestling between my potato dumplings...I know I should have said something but the waitress was a little scary and I didn't want to be whisked off to a Berlin cell for impertinence...
I have to say something about potato dumplings, which Hitler obviously overlooked as the perfect ammunition in the war...they are solid and sink to the bottom of your stomach like cannonballs where they stay for days on end.
After our meal we walked slowly back to the hotel and to the refuge of bed where, as you can imagine after our long day, we slept like the dead!
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